English dictionary — definitions & meanings

sue

verb

To take legal action against someone, typically in a civil (non-criminal) case.

suede

noun

A soft leather with a napped, brushed surface, often used for shoes, jackets, and bags.

Suen

name

A Chinese surname, a romanization of a name also spelled Sun.

suer

noun

Someone who sues; a suitor.

suet

noun

The fatty tissue that surrounds and protects the kidneys; that of sheep and cattle is used in cooking and in making tallow.

suey

noun

Informal, shortened slang for suicide.

suffer

verb

To experience pain, hardship, or distress.

sufferable

adj

Able to suffer, endure, or tolerate.

sufferance

noun

Endurance, especially patiently, of pain or adversity.

sufferer

noun

A person who experiences pain, illness, or hardship.

suffering

noun

Pain or distress, whether physical or emotional.

suffice

verb

To be enough for a purpose or need.

sufficiency

noun

The quality or condition of being sufficient.

sufficient

adj

Enough for a particular purpose; adequate.

sufficiently

adv

To an adequate or sufficient degree; enough.

suffix

noun

A group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or its grammatical role, such as -ness in kindness or -ed in walked.

suffocate

verb

To die, or cause someone to die, from lack of oxygen.

suffocated

adj

Killed or overwhelmed by lack of air.

suffocating

adj

So overwhelming, hot, or oppressive that it feels hard to breathe.

suffocation

noun

Death or loss of consciousness caused by being deprived of oxygen.

Suffolk

name

A county in eastern England, on the North Sea coast.

suffrage

noun

The right to vote in political elections.

suffragette

noun

A woman who campaigned, often through militant action, for women's right to vote in the early 1900s, especially in Britain.

suffragist

noun

A person who promotes suffrage.

suffuse

verb

To spread through or over (something), especially as a liquid, colour or light; to bathe.

Sufi

noun

A follower of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam that emphasizes direct, personal experience of the divine.

sug

verb

To market a product or service by means of purported market research.

Suga

name

A Japanese surname; also the stage name of a member of the K-pop group BTS.

sugar

noun

A sweet crystalline substance, usually made from sugar cane or sugar beet, used to sweeten food and drink.

sugarcoat

verb

To make something unpleasant seem more acceptable or attractive than it really is.

sugariness

noun

The property of being sugary or sweet.

sugarless

adj

Containing no refined sugar as an ingredient.

sugarpie

noun

A term of endearment; honey, sweetie, darling.

sugary

adj

Containing a lot of sugar, or tasting very sweet.

sugescent

adj

Of or relating to sucking.

suggest

verb

To put forward an idea or possibility for consideration.

suggestable

adj

Capable of being suggested.

suggestible

adj

Susceptible to influence by suggestion; easily swayed.

suggesting

verb

Putting forward an idea, plan, or possibility for someone else to consider.

suggestion

noun

An idea or plan put forward for consideration.

suggestive

adj

Tending to bring an idea or possibility to mind.

sugi

noun

The wood of the Japanese cedar tree, prized in construction and joinery.

Sugiyama

name

A Japanese surname meaning "cedar mountain."

Suh

name

A Korean surname, a romanization of the name also spelled Seo.

Sui

noun

A member of an ethnic group native to Guizhou province in southern China, numbering around 430,000 people.

suicidal

adjective

Wanting to kill oneself, or showing signs of wanting to.

suicide

noun

The act of intentionally ending one's own life.

suing

verb

Taking legal action against someone, usually to claim money or force them to do (or stop doing) something.

suit

noun

A matching jacket and trousers (or skirt) worn together as formal or business clothing.

suitability

noun

The quality of being suitable.

suitable

adjective

Right or appropriate for a particular purpose, person, or occasion.

suitably

adverb

In a way that fits the situation; appropriately.

suitcase

noun

A rectangular case with a handle, used for carrying clothes and belongings when travelling.

suite

noun

A set of connected rooms, especially in a hotel.

suited

adjective

Well matched to a particular purpose, person, or set of conditions.

suiting

noun

Fabric made specifically for tailoring suits.

suitor

noun

A man who is courting or pursuing a romantic relationship with someone.

Suk

name

A Korean surname and given name.

sukey

name

A female given name from Hebrew.

suki

noun

A regular customer who gets preferential treatment from a vendor.

sukiyaki

noun

A Japanese hot-pot dish of thin-sliced beef, tofu, and vegetables simmered in a sweet soy-based broth, often cooked at the table.

Sul

name

A Korean surname.

sulaiman

name

Solomon, revered as a major prophet in Islam.

Suleiman

name

A male given name of Arabic origin, the Arabic form of Solomon.

sulfa

adj

Of or containing sulfonamide or sulfanilamide.

sulfane

noun

hydrogen sulfide (IUPAC name)

sulfatase

noun

Any of several enzymes, in animals and bacteria, which catalyze the hydrolysis of organic sulfates

sulfate

noun

A salt or ester of sulfuric acid.

sulfated

adj

Treated, or reacted with sulfuric acid or a sulfate.

sulfide

noun

Any compound of sulfur and a metal or other electropositive element or group.

sulfite

noun

Any salt of sulfurous acid.

sulfonal

noun

A sulfone, derived from acetone and ethyl mercaptan, that is used as a mild hypnotic.

sulfonamide

noun

Any amide of a sulfonic acid RS(=O)₂NR'₂

sulfone

noun

Any of a class of organic compounds that have a sulfonyl functional group attached to two carbon atoms; drugs of this structure have been used to treat leprosy.

sulfur

noun

A pale yellow chemical element known for its strong smell, used in matches, gunpowder, and pest control.

sulfuric

adjective

Relating to sulfur, especially in its higher oxidation state, as in sulfuric acid.

sulk

verb

To show displeasure by going quiet and withdrawn rather than speaking about it.

sulkiness

noun

The state or quality of being sulky.

sulking

noun

The act of being sullenly silent or withdrawn out of displeasure.

sulky

adjective

Silent and bad-tempered, especially after being upset about something.

sullen

adjective

Gloomy, silent, and bad-tempered.

sullied

adjective

Made dirty, tainted, or damaged in reputation.

sully

verb

To damage or spoil someone's reputation or something's purity.

Sulphur

name

A place name used for several towns, notably Sulphur, Louisiana and Sulphur, Oklahoma, often near natural sulphur springs.

sultan

noun

A ruler of a Muslim state or empire, especially historically in places like the Ottoman Empire or Brunei.

sultana

noun

A pale, seedless raisin made from a specific type of grape.

sultry

adjective

Hot and humid, with heavy, still air.

sulu

noun

A wraparound skirt-like garment worn by both men and women in Fiji, similar to a sarong.

sum

noun

The total obtained by adding numbers or quantities together.

Suma

name

A feminine given name used in various cultures, and a district of Kobe, Japan.

suman

noun

A Filipino rice cake made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, typically wrapped in a leaf.

Sumatra

noun

A large island in western Indonesia, one of the biggest islands in the world.

Sumerian

adjective

Relating to Sumer, the ancient civilization of southern Mesopotamia.

sumi

noun

A solid stick of Japanese ink, ground with water and used for calligraphy or painting.

Sumida

name

A Japanese surname and place name, notably a ward and river in Tokyo.

summa

noun

A large, comprehensive work that pulls together everything known on a subject, especially theology or philosophy.

summarily

adv

In a summary manner.

summarize

verb

To reduce a longer piece of writing or speech down to its essential points.

summary

noun

A short version of a longer text that covers only the main points.

summary email

noun

An email that condenses recent news, activity or updates into a single short overview, rather than sending each item separately.

summat

pron

A dialect word for "something," used mainly in northern England.

summate

verb

To sum, add up; perform a summation.

summation

noun

A final overview that pulls everything together; a summing-up.

summer

noun

The warmest season of the year, between spring and autumn.

summerhouse

noun

A small garden building where people sit and relax in warm weather.

Summerlee

name

A surname and fictional character name, notably Professor Summerlee in Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World."

summers

adv

During the summer, especially as a repeated habit.

summersault

noun

Archaic spelling of somersault.

summerset

noun

Archaic spelling of somersault.

summertime

noun

The summer season, thought of as a stretch of time.

summing

noun

The act of adding numbers or ideas together to reach a total or conclusion.

summit

noun

The highest point of a mountain or hill.

summon

verb

To officially call people to come together or appear somewhere.

summoning

noun

The act of formally calling someone to appear, or of calling something into being.

summons

noun

A formal order to appear somewhere, especially in court.

Sumner

name

An English surname, historically an occupational name for a summoner, an officer who called people to court.

sumo

noun

A Japanese style of wrestling in which two large wrestlers try to force each other out of a ring or make them touch the ground.

sump

noun

A pit or low point where liquid collects and drains away.

sumptuous

adj

Lavish, luxurious, and clearly expensive.

sumptuousness

noun

The state or quality of being sumptuous.

sun

noun

The star at the centre of our solar system, which gives Earth light and heat.

sunbae

noun

In Korean culture, someone senior to you — an older classmate, colleague, or more experienced person in your field.

sunbathe

verb

To lie or sit outside deliberately exposing your skin to sunlight, usually to get a tan.

sunbathing

noun

The activity of lying outdoors in the sun, often with minimal clothing, to get a tan.

sunbeam

noun

A single visible ray of sunlight.

sunblind

noun

A blind used to protect against the sun.

sunblock

noun

A cream or lotion, usually with a high protection factor, that shields skin from sunburn.

sunbloom

noun

Synonym of sunflower.

sunburn

noun

Red, sore skin caused by too much time in the sun.

sunburnt

adj

Having a sunburn or dark tan; having been burned by the sun's rays.

sunburst

noun

A pattern or design showing rays spreading out from a central point.

sundae

noun

A dessert of ice cream topped with things like syrup, fruit, or nuts.

sundance

noun

A ceremonial dance performed in various Native American traditions, involving song, prayer, and ritual dancing.

sundang

noun

A kind of dagger or short machete.

Sundar

name

A surname, notably borne by tech executive Sundar Pichai.

Sunday

noun

The day of the week that follows Saturday, traditionally a day of rest or worship in Christian countries.

Sundays

adv

On Sundays, as a regular habit.

sunder

verb

To split something apart, especially violently or completely.

sunderance

noun

The act or process of sundering; separation.

Sunderland

name

A city in North East England, on the coast of Tyne and Wear.

sundial

noun

A device that tells the time by the shadow a rod or plate casts as the sun moves.

sundown

noun

The moment the sun sets; sunset.

sundry

adj

Various and of different kinds; miscellaneous.

sunflower

noun

A tall plant with a large, round flower head of yellow petals around a dark centre, grown for its seeds and oil.

Sung

verb

Past participle of sing.

sunglasses

noun

Glasses with tinted lenses worn to protect the eyes from bright sunlight.

Sunil

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "dark blue."

Sunita

name

A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "well-behaved" or "of good conduct."

sunken

adj

Pushed down below the surrounding surface, or dragged underwater.

sunless

adj

Without the sun or sunshine; shaded; shadowed.